In 2003, Sacramento-cum-Brooklynites !!! (pronounced "chk chk chk") combined delicious disco-punk with a middle-fingered message to former New York City mayor, Rudy Giuliani, for the year's most exciting nine minutes on a track called "Me and Giuliani Down By the School Yard (A True Story)." Now, with their highly anticipated second full-length album, Louden Up Now, the septet has moved on from NYC to DC, and is aiming their political disgust and wild rhythms at the president everyone loves to hate.
!!!'s lead singer and dancin' machine Nic Offer wasn't always driven to speak his mind about his country's political turmoil. Keep in mind, this is a man that sings a song called "There's No Fucking Rules, Dude." But desperate times call for desperate measures. "We didn't really consider ourselves political. It was just in these extremely political times that we decided to say something," says Offer. "[Bush] is a fucking mess. We just kind of threw our two cents in to show what we thought."
While politics has always reared its head in music, it can be hit or miss. With Louden Up Now, !!! has managed to keep their focus of designing a well-balanced album for both dance clubs and hipster enthusiasts while giving it lyrical power that is strictly for the non-Bush supporting public. "The situation is so fucking sickening now that you're either with us or against us," says Offer. "I think that's always been the danger of including politics in your music, that you're pretty much preaching to the converted."
Offer isn't oblivious to the sensitivities of flag-waving Americans, who have made targets out of the Dixie Chicks and Pearl Jam. "I feel we will probably receive negative attention from this new record," he admits. However, he's ready to battle anyone who has problems with the band's political stance. "With our audience, especially with how evil and corrupt Bush has shown himself to be, anyone who considers themselves down with him cannot count themselves as down with us. Anyone who wants to walk out of a show, please do. I'll show you to the door. You're not with us."
!!!'s lead singer and dancin' machine Nic Offer wasn't always driven to speak his mind about his country's political turmoil. Keep in mind, this is a man that sings a song called "There's No Fucking Rules, Dude." But desperate times call for desperate measures. "We didn't really consider ourselves political. It was just in these extremely political times that we decided to say something," says Offer. "[Bush] is a fucking mess. We just kind of threw our two cents in to show what we thought."
While politics has always reared its head in music, it can be hit or miss. With Louden Up Now, !!! has managed to keep their focus of designing a well-balanced album for both dance clubs and hipster enthusiasts while giving it lyrical power that is strictly for the non-Bush supporting public. "The situation is so fucking sickening now that you're either with us or against us," says Offer. "I think that's always been the danger of including politics in your music, that you're pretty much preaching to the converted."
Offer isn't oblivious to the sensitivities of flag-waving Americans, who have made targets out of the Dixie Chicks and Pearl Jam. "I feel we will probably receive negative attention from this new record," he admits. However, he's ready to battle anyone who has problems with the band's political stance. "With our audience, especially with how evil and corrupt Bush has shown himself to be, anyone who considers themselves down with him cannot count themselves as down with us. Anyone who wants to walk out of a show, please do. I'll show you to the door. You're not with us."